The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-24

Average American Citizen.
Washington Special to New York Times.
1t is coming to be an accepted and somewhat
venerable tradition here that no private citizen
has ever had the honor of seeing the present
Secretary of War in his Office. II is assumed
that Mr. Endicott does occupy the Office He
does not deny, out of tho building, that he has
often been in it officially His name occasion
ally appears upon papers purporting to have
been signed in the Office of the Secretary of
War. Yet this presumptively public officer has
been seen in his Office only by unknown few
unofficial persons since he became the head of
the department in 1885, So far as the ordinary
public man is concerned, the War Department.
or that part of it dedicated to the sacredly ex-
elusive OF the Secretary, might we'll be
condemned. sealed up, and labeled, in Boston
fashion, Private way" Some paragraphs on
this subject have occasionally found their way
into print, but few persons have believed that
the condition OF things at the Secretary office
was so bad as described. 1t is an entirely new
condition, too, brought in with Mr.. Endcotts
administration. established since Mr. Cleveland
selected him as Secretary of war While Mr.
Lincoln was Secretary the situation was so diff
ferent as to make the change appear altogether
more absurd and striking by contrast. Score
tary Lincoln could be approached by presenta-
ton of card or name at any time almost between
8 aad each business day. He not afraid of
bores. heard all applicants patiently, and dis
missed each conner without convicting him of
loss of selfrespect in calling, and no man went
away offended at the manner of his reception,
even if his requests were denied. When visit
or on business with the Secretary goes to his of
flee nowadays, he wishes that he hadn't, and
prays he may never be obliged to go again. For
day or two after Mr.. Endicott took Office 1t
possible to reach him. Since then, judging
q n IN he ded
that, having been three days in Office, the Secre
tary of War tired of the visits of persons not
wearing badges Of Office and issued an order that
he was mot receiving anybody" That order
apparently has not been countermanded. The
process of freezing out" has resulted in an
almost total abandonment of the Office. The
corridor before it is useful not approach
for the public to an alleged public office. but as
a convenience for few official subordinates who
are entitled to enter the sacred precincts of the
War Office and a lounging place for the guard
employed to prevent the common public from in
truding upon the Secretary.
A caller who asks of the negro messenger who
stands outside the Secretary's door that his card
DO taken in is informed, ''The Secretary is not
receiving to- day" A glance about will discover
two other negro messengers employed to pthe
third one to hold the door against all corners. II
business 10 pleaded as the excuse for submitting
to this perpexing ordeal the caller is referred
across the hall to "Majah" Lee. Mr.. Lee is not
major not even captain or any other officer,
time in a chair tilted up in a corner. where he
reads newspaper His diversion is apparently
the repetition of Secretary Endicotts order OF
exclusion of March, 1885. It is evidently meat
and drink to him to be able to drive away any
body and everybody who has presumed tG
imagine for an instant that the Secretary Of
War is to be seen and talked to as If he were
mere Secretary Of the Treasury OF Of
the Navy, or Of any other of thu
greater departments than that of thu
army. II any one ever got civil or agreeable
reception from .Majah" Lee the fact has never
been remem bered or reported. Lee has a whit.
associate, and when Lee and his churish man
ners are absent the associate does his level hes
to maintain the reputation of this place as thu
most disagreeable for visitors that is to be fount
in the department, not excepting the approach
to the Adjutantgenerars Office. and that, a
Captain Cutie might say, "speaks vollums."
1t is fortunate that an Insignificant number o
persons over find it necessary to crave admission
to the presence Of the Secretary Of War. !
there was any public necessity impeling con
siderable number of sensitive people to seek en-
trance to that exclusive place it is to be feare
that trouble would occasionally arise demandn
the detail of portion Of the army to maintain
the peace. As II IL, the Office of the Secretar
might prohtably be sealed up, the doors bricke
and the sign put up. mo admission" A pr
vate way" through which the Secretary nigh
enter and emerge unseen, would completely in
sure his absolute obscurity By walling off tn
Secretary's Office the appropriations committe
could save the government some thousands @
dollars by cutting of the salaries of "Maiah
Lee, his white co-laborer In the work of exclr
sion, ard the three able bodied negro messeH
gers whose principal duty appears to be to r.
peat interninably the order of March, 1885, tina
'"The Secretary is not receiving to-day.